A Connecticut native with an interest in birding shares his outdoor adventures

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

January Was Bigger Than My List

I'm still catching my breath from the winter we've had so far. We had 59.8"of snow in January which is a new record for Connecticut. After all the snow, we also had a bit of an ice storm. Ice-coated trees are a pretty sight in the winter but the additional weight of the ice also contributed to hundreds of roof collapses around the state. Fortunately, there hasn't been any serious injuries from these collapses. Here is a photo of a Snow Bunting. I think they really stand out nicely against a snowy background. The weather conditions did slow my search for birds in January. I ended up seeing 82 species which is about 20 less than what I saw in the two previous years. Most of my birding was done by car along with a few visits to shoreline locations. There was too much snow inland. Here is my list for January 2011 in order that the species were seen:

I added the final 3 species on the last Sunday in January. I also found out that the a Common Murre was seen at West Beach by a large group of birders 5 minutes after I left the area. It was the first recorded sighting of this species in Connecticut.

By the end of the month I was spending more time shoveling snow and raking it off my roof than I was birding. It reminded me that some things are beyond our control and the weather would be one of those things. You just have to accept it and make the best of the situation.

I made sure that I shoveled a path through my back yard to where the fire bowl is. A little bit of music along with a campfire was a nice way to finish a long day of shoveling. Now I'm looking forward to see what February brings us.

12 comments:

You have a great list regardless of the total. The weather has been harsh for humans but it must be so much worse for wildlife. Thankfully we have had no ice storms, but your tree is beautiful. And the Snow Bunting picture is perfect!

Larry, that is quite a list and several of those species would be lifers for me! I want to see a purple sandpiper and a ruddy turnstone! I tried to find a great cormorant up here but never succeeded. Congratulations on a Great List in spite of the snow! Now, I am ready for a warm fire!

Kathiebrds-Thanks-the good thing is I got out and saw some nice birds before all that snow hit.Your odds for seeing a Ruddy Turnstone or Purple Sandpiper at Meig's point in Hammonnasett are pretty good this time of the year if you happen to be visiting Connecticut. A fire is very comforting during the winter.

Nice pic on that Snow Bunting!I've never seen one before. I love your blog and I'll come back again.I'm in the South with better weather and you've seen more species than I have in January...and I've been birding!I'm impressed.